Twelve O'Clock High Episode Guide

Rated: TV G
Gallagher runs into the U.S. Navy flag officer with a chip on his shoulder given to him by Gallagher's two star U.S. Army Air Corp Father. They must work together to save not only their own men, but the war in the South Atlantic.
The epilogue provides a wrap up for the series, at least in the short term.

The episode opens in a bombing run over Germany in Colonel Gallagher's plane with Major Stovall riding as co-pilot. Captain Dula (new to the squadron) is acting as Navigator, while he awaits the decision of a flight review board (as he lost his last plane, less than 10 days ago). Anti-aircraft fire hits the plane knocking out Gallagher, Stovall (wounding him badly), and killing the Bombardier. Komanski takes over the controls, until Captain Dula orders him (twice) to give them up and orders him back to his gun position. Komanski ignores the order to his gun position and instead works to save Major Stovall's life. Dula has the radio operator enter into the log a charge of mutiny, which is punishable by death.
It is Komanski's birthday and after his party, he receives a letter from a POW about Dula's last mission as a pilot. It all comes to a head by the end of the episode.

On a Shuttle Mission to bomb Fredricksburg then land in Foggia Italy, General Chandler leads the whole wing. Gallagher's plane is hit and the Bombardier, Navigator, and the Ball Turret Gunner are killed, and General Chandler & the Radioman are wounded; Another gunner is killed bailing out. They crash land at Sabina Island Control. They are aided at the base by it's commander, Major Glenn Luke a medical officer, and the sole enlisted man, Staff Sergeant Conklin. The base also has 4 German prisoners. On the ground Chandler, Komansky, Pargon and the Radioman are picked up by Major Luke. Gallagher and one of the waist gunners Sergeant Shadrack Ellis are still unaccounted for. A German fighter pilot, Hauptman Holtke, is shot down as well. He sneaks into camp following Sergeant Shadrack Ellis and kills him along with Pargon & Conklin. Holke takes Chandler hostage and takes over the base. We learn Major Luke is really a former signal corps officer named Jim Prince, a pacifist who was reduced to Private for not wanting to kill.

A reconnaissance team breaks through the German lines and head 10 miles deep into enemy territory and captures a German underground command center. Allied headquarters thinks it is the Argenteau Air Six Air Defense Headquarters for the German Luftwaffe. As Colonel Gallagher and Sergent Komanski are already in the area looking for forward air bases, headquarters dispatches them to investigate. The Germans, though, are doing all they can to retake the headquarters. Will ground reinforcements arrive in time and what, if anything, can Gallagher's 918th Bomb Group do to help?

Colonel Harry Connelly is up for the Medal of Honor for the pinpoint bombing of a Radar station without hitting the church next door in Italy. Connelly has done 43 skip bombing missions in Europe and the Pacific. In Adelberg the Germans have a group of scientists working on the Atomic Bomb. All around them they have placed POW's including high ranking officers. Connelly is currently doing Transitional Training in London and is called on do one last precision bombing mission. Connelly & Gallagher decide on a plan. One man mission in a B-25 will bomb the target while the rest of the Group acts a diversion. In training Connelly misses the target twice then hits it 6 times dead on. On the mission the pond Connelly was using as his IP is missing, he drops on wrong house killing some Allied officers. Axis Sally broadcasts the news, Connelly cracks, hits Gallagher. General Britt orders Gallagher to "get that building" by saturation bombing which will kill the POWs as well. On the second mission Gallagher flies a B-25 5 minutes ahead of the Group and if successful, the mission will be called off otherwise the Group led by Chandler will saturation bomb the target.

TV Rating: TV-PG: Major General Fox is putting pressure on Brigadier General Doud to bomb the Sub Pens at Nordensholm. They have bombed 3 times and hit the wrong targets, Doud as the Wing Commander takes responsibility and vows to get them. Colonel Hollenbeck has been leading the 52nd Bomb Group, Doud replaces him and reassigns him as G-3 and sends him to the 918th to prepare them for an attack against Nordensholm. Hollenbeck as senior Colonel wants to lead the mission and delays calling Gallagher back from leave. Gallagher arrives but General Doud agrees with Hollenbeck leading the mission. They bomb the correct target, but it is not the Sub Pens. The camera plane piloted by Major's Werth & Stovall is hit and Werth killed. Against orders Stovall breaks formation to photograph a sub he sees leaving a different area. Shot down, the camera & film are lost along with 4 crew members. Harvey Stovall & 5 men are picked up in the North Sea. Back at base, Colonel Hollenbeck wants Stovall court-martialed for insubordination.

A V-1 rocket crashes in Sweden. The allies want to get it. They recruit a rocket expert Group Captain Anthony Carmichael. Carmichael is in civilian clothes in the Star & Bottle and he and Sandy have a tiff. Sandy finds him drunk later passed out on a bench. On the mission, Gallagher, Carmichael & Komansky fly to Sweden in an unmarked plane. They have engine trouble and the compass fails so they follow a German plane in. The German plane is a diplomatic courier which carries the designer of the V-1 guidance system, Dr Tanzman and Oberst Ulrich. They are also there to retrieve the rocket as well. Carmicheal drinks too much and reveals his mission to Swensen, a German operative.

Rated: TV-PG: 9 new planes & crews arrive at Archbury. Aboard are some WACS assigned to Wing HQ led by Staff Sergeant Margo Demarest who is an old friend of Gallagher. Three Ace fighter pilots (Clinton, Dejohn, and Rausch) from the Pacific are ferrying some new P-51 to the 511th Fighter Squadron. Two (Rausch & Dejohn) buzz the airfield to impress Margo and Gallagher is furious. They want to be assigned to the 511th, and the Squadron CO, Major Davidson, wants them but informs them that he is under Gallagher's orders. Major Davidson and the 3 pilots see Gallagher who asks for there orders. Dejohn explains that their orders are in their B4 bags. Gallagher assigns them temporarily (TDY) to the 918th. It turns out that they do actually have orders which split them up and they want to stay together, so they are trying to get assigned to the 511th . They need fake orders to assign them to England and Dejohn asks Margo to write orders for the trio. After he tells her that he loves her, she agrees. All 3 end up giving fighter indoctrination to the new crews, and Dejohn gets the opportunity to fly a simulated fighter attack against the new Bombers.

Rated: TV G Sandy, who is out on a date notices a single German aircraft flying overhead. On his way back to the base, with his girl, he almost runs down a Master Sergeant looking for the 918th, who has a German accent. Sandy takes this Master Sergeant into custody and brings him to Col. Gallagher, who his briefing his Squadron commanders. Gallagher dismisses the MP and orders Sandy to untie the Master Sergeant. He tells Sandy the NCO is from G2 Intelligence. In reality he is a German defector who now has American citizenship and enlisted in the American Army. He has direct experience the Americans need to take out the Muhlendorf Stetten engine factory complex.

After knocking out the engine factory, Gallagher's plane has so much damage and lost enough fuel it can't get home. After considering several alternatives, Col Gallagher decides to try for the Russian lines. Falling short by only a few miles, he lands in a field controlled by the Germans, though, the Russians do see him land. Gallagher orders the Lawson to destroy the bomb sight and a German officer orders him to stop. He successfully completes the task, but at his own life.

The German's executive officer is a SS Major who has no interest in the rules of war, only for what serves Hitler and the party. Thus he looks at the master Sergeant Schultz as a traitor and spy (even though legally he's an American and an American enlisted solider). He order all of the American flyers shot. Tune in to see how it turns out; who lives and who dies; how does Col. Gallagher and Sandy get home or do they get home?

Ted Master's an all American Athlete is assigned to the 918th. He comes equipped with his own Press Officer. Wants to fly, Gallagher assigns him as Assistant Adjutant. Captain King makes an emergency belly landing and Ted poses in front of Captain King's downed aircraft. Gallagher checks him out, assigns him as an alternate co-pilot. He is assigned to King's aircraft operating the bomb run camera. During the mission most of the crew is wounded including the pilot and Master's lands the plane. He rescues the crew by pulling them from the burning aircraft. He also saves the bombing film.

Gallagher is shot down in a Mustang on a secret mission. Col Gibbons takes over command of the 918th. Conspiracy is led by Admiral von Kreuter (with Berthold, Shullendorf, Straser) to kill Hitler and negotiate a separate peace.

The RAF(& USAAF) is getting pounded by very concentrated flak over Weisbaden, the latest Squadron has been wiped out. General Britt visits Gallagher to tell him that RAF Air Vice Marshal Kingsford is out for Gallagher's head, the target must be destroyed or Britt will replace Gallagher. On the next mission the 918th looses 11 aircraft out of 21. It turns out that there is a radar directed Fire Control Station in the area. A team of 8 British commandoes, led by Major Mallory will parachute in and blow it up. After dropping the commandoes, Gallagher's B-17 is shot down, his co-pilot is killed, and only he and Komansky meet up with the commando unit. One of the commandoes, Pte. Cane is badly wounded by a German patrol and is left behind with an "interrogation pill" which is really an "L(eathal) pill". Mallory makes it clear to Gallagher that he and Komansky are unwelcome "glamour flyboys". Mallory, his remaining 6 commandoes, Gallagher & Komansky head to the home of Kurt von Heurtzel a German contact. The home is deserted save for a barking dog quickly dispatched by Higgins.

A shuttle raid is planned by 8th Air Force commander Lieutenant General Harry Owen. Bombers will bomb Ergen Oil Works land in Poltava Russia, then hit Berlin on the way back. A straggling Russian Bomber joins the formation and does not give any recognition signals nor does it respond to Baladin's radio calls. The aircraft is shot down by Major Baladin flying Major Simpson's plane (against Gallagher's orders). Later we learn that the aircraft was piloted by a hero, Major Tobulkan & Captain Chernikov. General Voredenko wants to know who is responsible for this and says that until the man is caught no supplies will be issued. It is the system. Worried that Voredenko will have him shot, Baladin asks Donald "Doc" Kaiser for help.

The 918th Group has just finished 21 missions in the 30 days since May 1, 1944. They have been bombing for Operation Point, the lead up to Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy. A 10 day leave is authorized then cancelled and instead they are assigned to fly the Overleaf missions, dropping leaflets all over the French coast. Everyone is exhausted from Gallagher on down. General Pritchard tells General Britt that they need all groups in the air. Britt explains he only has two flyable Groups left, 918th & 966th, he has used the 82nd to replace men & aircraft for the other Groups. Later at Wing, General Britt explains to Gallagher that this could be the "real thing". Gallagher says he has heard that before. Britt also tells Gallagher that the G-3 is moving up and the position could go to Gallagher if he wants it. On the first "Overleaf" mission to Youreville, they get hit by flak and Pat Barstow's ship gets shot down. Back on the ground, Lieutenant Col. Christy is upset over losing a good friend and Gallagher decides that he will lead the next few missions himself. The 918th have only 16 serviceable aircraft & 24 available pilots. Flying 4 missions a day is wearing down both planes and men. Fights break out and the men are surly, General Britt arrives in the middle of a fight between two mechanics and tells Gallagher he had better get his group under control or be replaced.

On a bombing mission to Focke Wulfe Factory in Marienberg, East Prussia the 918th is attached by fighters and loose 9 AC & 100 men. The 966th was hit the same way yesterday. Gallagher's radioman overhears the German and Gallagher gets the idea of trying to confuse the Germans by broadcasting on that frequency. . When the group lands they find out that everything on the mission was broadcast by the "Danzig Lady". Sandy is dating an English girl, Helen Graham. Seeing her react badly to the "Danzig Lady" , Her father is a retired Major in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Helen Graham is really Helen Conboy and her sister Patricia Conboy is the "Danzig Lady". Sandy reports it. British Intelligence says it will ask an agent to find out the information. The agent speaks to their contact, a waiter who is being watched by the Gestapo. The waiter is killed by Gestapo agents.

A German unit bombs the 918th's base in Archbury, among the dead are a group of new replacements and a WRAF Sergeant Winifred Broome. The Chaplain anguished over the dead but most especially Winifred, shoots and kills a Luftwaffe survivor parachuting down to the ground

An escaped POW, 1st Lieutenant Wally Bolen returns to the 918th after 5 months of captivity. He is welcomed by Komansky and promoted to Captain by Gallagher. At the officer's club, they are having a welcome back party; his "girl" Ruth is there along with Ken Shaw, a press corps journalist and his buddy Chuck Nielson. Also there are Captains Lewis & Stewart, former fighter pilots. Bolen wants to fly again and gets checked out by Gallagher. The Group is going to be bombing Battenheim again. They will be sending a pathfinder group of 3 in at a low altitude to mark the target. Gallagher chooses Bolen as Flight Leader, and Lewis & Stuart who both have low level experience. On a practice mission, Bolen orders Lewis & Stewart to close up, Stewart flies to close and collides with Bolen's aircraft. Bolen freezes and his plane hits Lewis' plane. Stewart's B-17 crashes, the entire crew is killed and they injure a civilian, the Rector of the Archbury Church. Bolen orders his crew to bail and everyone does except Navigator Neilson and Flight Engineer Komansky who helps Bolen belly land the plane. Bolen's co-pilot is killed when his chute does not open. Back on the ground, Bolen cracks up and starts reliving the torture he suffered again. Dr. Douglas thinks he needs psychological help. Bolen cracks completely when his Stan Neilson takes a turn for the worse.

In Scotland Gallagher meets with Major General Hardy about a Ranger mission and Gallagher comes up with an air support plan. Returning from Scotland via an Air Transport B-17, they are shot down over the North Sea. Of the two man crew, Captain Tom Powell, and Staff Sergeant Johnny Miller only Powell survives along with Gallagher. They put up the radio transmitter, no luck. They find an island (Seagull Rock) to land on. A B-17 Weather Plane hears them and so does a fishing trawler. So too does a German U-Boat. Gallagher ditches his briefcase. Powell surrenders, Gallagher gets captured, and they get taken to the U-Boat.

B-17 "Angel Babe" is returning from a perfect mission to Willemshaven as the Group Lead. Flight Engineer Willets explains that when "Angel Babe" leads they always come home safe. On the ground Major Stovall waits with a team from the Public Relations Office (PRO) who are filming & photographing the plane which has completed its 49th mission. They want to take the plane back to the US for a promotional tour as it will be the first in the Eight AF to complete 50 missions. The Flight Engineer, Technical Sergeant Willets thinks that "Angel Babe" is a fighter and she won't want to go home this way. The PRO team will fly on the next mission, her last and some of her crew including Willets, Harkness and the two pilots think that "Angel Babe" is their lucky charm. The plane blows a tire and aborts the mission. When they land Willets hits Cameraman Staff Sergeant Ben Prinzi to keep him from going back in the plane, because of the live bombs. Major Budd the PRO feels that the crew is trying to sabotage the plane so the PRO will not take her back to US. The crew is tense, a gunner Harker wants to pop Prinzi. On the next mission to Willemshaven, "Angel Babe" starts buffeting and looses number 3 engine. They abort and return to base, the crew is now convinced that the plane has used up her luck. The next mission is to Emden and as the crew arrives, Prinzi refuses to board, then so does the whole crew. Gallagher arrives and decides that he will pilot "Angel Babe" while Drennan will act as co-pilot of "Piccadilly Lilly" under Captain Fowler.

On a mission after hitting the target a bombing runs, Captain Bradovich's B-17 experiences engine trouble. Tourneau drops back to aide him. Bradovich reports him for lack of air discipline. Talks with Harvey. Goes to officers club and his co-pilot Stan Ainsley tries to get him to join in. He does not but meets Sarah instead. On the next mission, his plane is hit, and Ainsley is wounded. Bradovich orders crew bail out, they do but only Bradovich returns and the other aircraft only see one chute before the plane disappears into the clouds. They locate his crashed aircraft, two bodies, and no survivors that they can find. His new crew is Dickey, Williams, and Flight Engineer Brack. Brack has a "head cold" and replaced by Komansky who volunteers. In the air the crew snubs Bradovich, and Komansky understanding that Bradovich is a loner like him, chews out the crew and supports him. Back on the ground, Bradovich finds a tipsy Sarah in the Denby Lion with Lieutenant Tourneau. A drunken Tourneau gets fresh with Sally Blodgett and she snacks him (3 times) with her handbag. Not wanting to get Sarah in trouble, Bradovich takes full responsibility.

After completing On his 25th mission, Major Tom Parsons is going home. At Wing HQ General Britt is chewing out his Group Commander (Fred, Gallagher & ?). Sveringen is the production centre for the new ME-262 rocket powered fighter. They have tried to bomb several times and failed. Gallagher suggests nighttime precision bombing. Britt says the RAF have tried and failed. Gallagher suggests sending in a pathfinder to mark the target by dropping incendiaries on either side. Gallagher picks Parsons to fly the pathfinder mission; he refuses as he has completed his tour. At the officers club Parsons meets his former co-pilot Captain Cowley who has just got out of the hospital. Cowley asks about Parsons girl, Naomi. Is he taking her back to the States with him? Parsons is non-committal. Gallagher orders Cowley to fly the pathfinder mission and gets Parsons to train him. General Britt has been reviewing Parsons orders to rotate back the States; he finds that Parsons has only flown milk runs, every time there is a deep penetration mission he aborts. Britt is angry and finds that Parsons has comes up short on one of his missions, as the distance was to short to qualify. He needs to fly one more mission. The next mission is a diversion run over the Seine. Thinking the Major's luck has run out, all the gunners carry extra ammunition in addition to the full bomb load. Parson's has to abort. Not realizing why his plane blew an engine, back on the ground, an angry Parsons tries to slug his crew chief but slugs his bombardier instead.

The Dulabine Shipyard bombing mission is turned back due to overcast. On the ground in Emstad, the German commander, Oberst Erhland is frustrated that he can not attack due to fighter maintenance problems. It will be at least 5 days before the weather overcast clears. Erhland orders Hauptman Schmidt, his maintenance officer to take the time to repair his fighters (18 are in need of repair, 7 are unserviceable). Erhland also talks with his Radar Officer Hauptman Schiller. Back at the 918th's Base, General Britt is waiting and introduces Gallagher to Dr Michael Rink from the Signal Corps. He has a new airborne radar device called Bomb through Overcast (BTO) Radar. Three aircraft sortie on a test mission to bomb Duronde, the BTO performs perfectly and they get an 80% success rate over the target. Dr. Rink has a heart condition and collapses as they complete the mission and his assistant Master Sergeant Zemler has to take over. On the ground, the Germans try and figure out how the Americans are bombing, Schiller thinks they may be bombing by radar. Erhland takes his 5 working fighters up to attack the B-17's but has no success. All three B-17s return safely. They christen a new B-17 "Rink's Raidar" in honour of the success. Over the next 3 days they successfully bomb Rocheville, Emstad & Rocheville(again). On the next mission to Zeupthin, the German Radar under Schiller triangulates their position and they groups is badly mauled by flak. In "Rinks Raidar" the lead Pilot, Major Rice and the bombardier, Lieutenant Gurney are killed and BTO operator Master Sergeant Zemler is hit in the face. Co-pilot Captain Fowler takes over. He and Komansky land the plane. The Group loose 12 aircraft (6 before the bomb run,4 after, 1 ditched in Channel & 1 "Rinks Raidar" on landing). Zemler thinks that the Germans are honing in on the airborne radar.

Mission to bomb a refinery & fuel storage area at Kasendorf. A pilot from the 53rd Fighter Squadron, Lieutenant Harley Wilson hits Gallagher's plane while trying to shoot an enemy fighter. Wilson is very eager to fit in, he feels like an outsider and hitting the Colonels plane doesn't help. The young pilot has been trying to get a kill for two months. He goes to the Star & Bottle where he is snubbed by Sandy, tries to chat up Agnes the Barmaid but she is too busy, and even tries to ask out Captain Vincent not realizing she is Gallagher's date. He volunteers for the next mission, a photo recon over Kasendorf. On the Photo recon mission, Gallagher blows a jug while flying a P-51 and has to bail out. Wilson disobeys orders, breaks off & lands while being strafed by enemy fighters and saves Gallagher. He is put in for the DFC and becomes a "hero". Later in the Star & Bottle, he is cheered by the group and gets to talk with some Reporters (Harkness, Toley, and Barnes) The Photo Recon shows that the storage tanks are really 2000 yards south For the next mission, General Pritchard promises Gallagher every ship in the wing and all the fighters he can muster. 53rd Fighter Squadron. Wilson really wants to make a name for himself; he breaks off again and gets a kill. Because he broke away, Mikler get shot down.

Due to cloud cover over the target, the 918th led by Major Fitzsimmons is unable to bomb Kiel. They abort loosing 7 planes. Back at base Gallagher makes an angry complaint to General Britt who has a solution, a new Group Weather Officer. The new officer is a woman, Captain Patricia Bates. She is a former Meteorology Professor from UIT who has a new approach to Weather Forecasting. They have dinner with her and her assistant Lieutenant Rogers. The next day Gallagher flies with her in Weather 1, a modified B-17 with only a top turret gun, built for speed. On the mission, the B-17 takes off with Rogers as Meteorologist, gets shot up and Rogers is wounded. The plane comes in on its belly, Bates is upset and wants to quit. Britt orders Gallagher to order her to fly the next mission. Gallagher tells her they need her so she flies with Captain Blodget and finds a path through the storm but the plane is iced up and has to ditch in the channel. Gallagher goes to find her, which he does. The Rescue 20 plane finds the first raft with Bates on it, then goes to find the next raft which drifted west. Bates speaks with Gallagher and is angry that all he wants is her weather report, but he gets the information. Back at base they fly the mission.

While on a bombing raid, Gallagher realizes that he has bombed a decoy target they need to bomb 2500 yards NE of target 385. Gallagher tries to radio London but the Radio Operator is killed, the radio is destroyed and the bomber gets shot down. Gallagher parachutes into Switzerland. At the American Legation in Zurich, he is told by Wilson Sechrist that he will be interred for the duration. He can not escape nor will he be allowed to transmit information that he has. An American officer, Captain Wright asks Gallagher to meet him at the Alpenstock Restaurant. He instead meets an American business man George Richardson. Richardson tells him he will help him escape. Richardson tells him to go to the Edelweiss Garage. There he sees a German deserter escaping from German Agents. He tells Gallagher he is Sergeant Karl Weigand. He goes to find Jean Golet, and instead finds his daughter Liane. Her father has been killed by the Germans. She helps him escape. Gallagher, Liane & Weigand make their way back to a French port. On the way, Weigand saves both Liane & Gallagher.

While trying to bomb Hamburg, the 818th is turned back by flak & fighters over area called the "Slaughter Pen". A new German Underground Radar Station is spotting them. Back at Archbury, General Pritchard says that all 3 of his Wings have been turned back. Gallagher says that it is not a target that can be taken from the air, it needs to a ground assault. Pritchard asks Gallagher to get cleaned up and come with him to Brincott Hall. There General Pritchard explains that Brincott Hall has been turned into a Combined Operations Commando School. It is run by British General St John Keighley. General Pritchard explains that SHAEF has approved a commando raid. Gallagher will command the mission and the Air Group, Colonel Percy Vivyan (Lord Brincott) will command the British Commando's and the overall Ground Forces, Colonel Peter Thom will command the American Paratroopers & Rangers, Captain Eddington of the Royal Navy will command the Naval Forces. A Radar Expert is also assigned to the Mission.

On the way back from a mission, a mentor of Joe Gallagher's, Colonel Gus "Pappy" Wexler is flying as an observer. Gallagher asks Fowler to let Wexler fly in the co-pilot seat. They are attacked by ME-109's and Joe is wounded, Pappy takes over calling Gallagher "Bernie". At HQ General Pritchard ask Harvey Stovall's opinion of Wexler. General Britt is away in Washington and if he is not back, Pritchard will be looking for a new Wing Commander. He is thinking of Wexler or Gallagher. Gallagher is on the sick list so Wexler becomes acting Group Commander, and Gallagher the acting Wing Commander. Wexler wants things run by the book. On the next mission, he takes 3 planes and turns too early & aborts. He calls his Bob Fowler, his co-pilot "Bernie", and when Sandy questions him, Wexler orders him to stand down and report to the Flight Surgeon when he is back. Later in the Star & Bottle, the pilots celebrate with Wexler and he makes a good show of it. He arm wrestles Captain Banazek and wins. He has taken a liking to young 2nd Lieutenant Booth and tries to fix him up with a pretty WAC Sergeant Wexler takes Booth to meet Alice, a woman he cares about.

On the way back from a bombing run over the Ruhr valley, bombs are accidentally dropped on Ste Monique. 1st Lieutenant Parks the bombardier is interrogated. A single bomb falls in the village square killing resistance leaders Pierre Fecamp. Two pilots hiding in St Monique escape Major Coefield from the 918th and Captain Pollard from the 511th Fighter Squadron. Pollard has fallen in love with Claudine, the woman who rescued them. She has brought her son to England, he is badly wounded and may lose his leg. Claudine hates Gallagher and is going to kill him. She goes with him to the 918th officers club and sees the pilots get drunk. Meanwhile in Ste Monique, Hauptman Bergdorf says they will not bomb because of the last mission, so now they can put in a German Radar Station. On the way to Wing HQ in Archbury, Claudine tries to kill Gallagher. General Marteen orders the 918th to bomb Ste. Monique that night. In Ste Monique, Marcel Lenoir is killed as he radios information to London.

Flying back from Russian sector for the Invasion of Europe is coming and Stace & Krasker are returning with information about Russian troop strength. Plane is shot down, one general jumps, the other rides the plane down with Trask is afraid to jump Sandy is afraid of snakes. Trask is a clerk cryptographer for Stace.

Off the base, JayDee Jones is working up the nerve to go on his next mission. He gets Jan Warner to sneak him back on base. He gets spotted by Chapman who is stealing 3 45 pistols to sell . JayDee's older brother Frank talks to him and tells him to straighten up. JayDee says he has had enough, he wants out. Jones & Chapman make briefing at 04:30. On takeoff JayDee over-revs engines, and they don't have enough speed to take off, his co-pilot tries to help but the plane flips over killing the bombardier and badly injuring the co-pilot who dies later. Frank covers for his brother and says it could be a maintenance problem. Colonel Hunter the Wing G-4 (Supply) comes to investigate. Chapman sells his pistols to an Englishman who gets caught. Captain Mason from CIC comes to investigate the stolen guns. Jones co-pilot dies. Chapman & JD talk, Chapman says him will back Jones up. Hunter & Gallagher interrogate JayDee Jones, Frank Jones & Chapman. Chapman backs Jones who still can not remember what really happened.

American bomber command is using the 918th to test a new strategy to help with daylight bombing -- The Shuttle Raid. The idea is simple instead of a round trip turn the trip into a triangle with two bomb runs per trip. The 918 is to bomb 200 miles into Germany (Wellhausen), turn South to North Africa, refuel and reload, and on the way back to England bomb a German held area in France. Command wants to force the German air command to spread themselves too thin to cover all of their important targets.

The new plan takes the German high command by surprise and only one training group attacks the 918 on its way to North Africa. Over Wellhausen, Oberst Falkenstein leads this training group to attack the formation. Gallagher's plane is hit and forced to land in Yugoslavia. Captain Lowell is wounded. Partisans help them, Lowell dies. Mara falls for Gallagher. Yellich wants Gallagher to take Mara with him. She stays. As the Germans close in Gallagher takes off.

Harv and Lieutenant Colonel Rogers, the 918ths acting commander, watch the latest mission come back very chewed up and missing at least 6 six planes. Harvey feels responsible. Sandy hands him a telegram, his son is an MIA. Harvey goes to see General Britt and requests to go back on flying status. He gets an age waiver. Gallagher comes back and is furious with Harvey. He passes his physical by memorizing the eye chart. Gallagher puts Harvey through the wringer but Harvey passes his flight test. On the mission to bomb the marshalling yards at Antwerp, they make the run then get attacked by ME-109's.

On a bombing mission into Norway, Lieutenant Col. Christy aborts the mission after 10 out his 21 planes get shot down. When he returns, Gallagher sends an angry note to newly promoted Major General Britt asking why the target is secret, "How can his men keep risking there lives for a secret target". Summoned by Britt to what turns out to be Britt's promotion party, he is surprised to see his father Lieutenant General Max Gallagher. General Gallagher intercedes with General Pritchard to keep Pritchard from seeing and disciplining Colonel Gallagher.

The 918 is on its 8th mission to bomb the sub pens at St Nazaire. This mission is led by Major Kurt Brown who has never aborted for any reason. Richards, Brown's bombardier is badly wounded and Brown tells his Navigator to hold him to the bomb sight. He completes his mission but is annoyed at the cost and argues with Colonel Gallagher. On 8 missions they have lost 34 aircraft. Later in the Star & Bottle Gallagher asks Brown to drive Liz home. On his next mission (43rd) he aborts as his Navigator has appendicitis. Liz tells Brown she is German. Brown is angry. He fly's his 44th mission and is in a daze. Brown finally admits that he loves Liz. Before the next mission, Brown passes out from exhaustion before flying.

On a practice for night mission, they are being tracked by Vendry's unit They change course and evade successfully but "Chub" has to correct as he was off target. Chub is distracted because of his girl Kitty. On the actual night mission into Norway to pick up legendary resistance leader Arn Borg, they are told to look for the King Frederick light. It seems to be a trap as the Germans are waiting. The plane gets shot at lands and picks up Borg who brings his son Christian back with him. Gallagher is angry. Backs at base, Borg's map is impossible to read. Gallagher is ordered to fly another recon mission. Borg runs away so they decide to take Christian to show them the target. Borg comes back and flies the mission. They bomb what seems to be a heavy water storage facility and the mission is successful. Borg goes back to Norway.

On a mission 9 out of the 10 crew of the Piccadilly Lily are wounded save one - Komansky. Komansky fly's and lands the plane, becoming a press celebrity. A wounded Gallagher puts him in for the Silver Star. Kirby Wyatt, the 918th press liaison calls Susan Nesbitt, an American correspondent working for the BBC. She takes advantage of Komansky realizing this story could make her (he rescued General Gallagher's son). Kirby Wyatt goes along with Susan. Sandy is very uncomfortable with the celebrity. He is kidded about being a jinx by Technical Sergeant Chapman, Major Benson's Flight Engineer. Sandy replaces him on a mission, and has to kick a bomb loose. Sandy is awarded the Silver Star.

The 511th Fighter Group arrives at Archbury to escort the 918 on the home leg of the shuttle mission. On the way Troper attacks a train making him 10 minutes late for the rendezvous. The 511th does not give the proper recognition codes and one pilot is shot down. On the ground an angry Lieutenant Col. Troper slugs Gallagher. Gallagher tells Troper to forget about it. They are ordered to train together. In London Troper gets drunk, insults Gallagher, and takes off with Gallagher's date Fay. Gallagher orders a brief at 0400, only 12 of the 511th pilots show up. Gallagher has Troper put under house arrest. Merritt leads the fighters and not one bomber is lost.

The 918 lands at Mogador in North Africa to refuel and re-arm. They are on a mission to prove to the Germans American bombers can come from anywhere. The goal is to have the Germans pull their fighters back to the homeland.
Gallagher's plane lands 21 hours late after his stopover in Yugoslavia. The senior officer is Lieutenant Col. Preston "Pres" Gallagher (Joe Gallagher's older brother). Pres explains that he has a mixed unit of Americans, British & Australians and he has been barely holding on but "Infantry holds, that's what they do".
Now that Gallagher has landed safely Pres decides to pull out. Pres takes Gallagher's gas, and sends Captain Strader to blow up the 918th's planes fights. An exhausted Pres collapses and is hospitalized.
Major Dutton takes command of ground forces and orders Master Sergeant Orland to prepare to move out. Gallagher radios for gas and the incoming plane is shot down. Pres recovers and decides to fight on.
Col. Gallagher sends Lieutenant Col. Bailey with 3 B-17's to refuel, rearm with a mixed load, and orders to return and bomb the approaching Nazi column. If the Nazi win he is to carry out the original mission and return to England. If the Americans win then he should land and then entire 918 will carry out the mission and return.

A new pilot, 1st Lieutenant Joshua Melton McGraw, who is an old friend of Gallagher's arrives with a chip on his shoulder and buzzes the field. The bombers arrive from the current mission and the lead plane crashes and explodes killing the lead pilot Captain Newman. When Gallagher asks McGraw about the buzzing he says he had radio trouble, and Gallagher chews him out. He asks Josh how he wangled a transfer into the 918, He says he asked his father, a General to work on Gallagher's father and his fiancé (Britt's daughter, Martha) to work on General Britt. McGraw is angered to find out that Gallagher is going break up his crew for a couple of runs, standard procedure, he is going fly copilot for Gallagher. While at Wing Headquarters to visit General Britt he checks out the plans for tomorrow's bomb raid. On the bombing mission the Group is assigned to bomb the 3rd bridge , while the group goes after the regular target, McGraw peels off and bombs the 4th bridge. He claims it was equipment error and Gallagher lets him off. The next day on a check out flight, McGraw shoots down "Bed Check Charlie". Back on the ground Gallagher forces McGraw to admit that he lied about the radio. He tells him that he could be an excellent lead pilot if he got the chip off his shoulder. Given one more chance by Britt & Gallagher, McGraw uses his damaged plane to hit the target tunnel He is MIA.

After a tough mission, Gallagher needs a new gunner. Cpl. Corbett is a new replacement in from the states and has a perfect gunnery score (1000, Komansky only has 400). Komansky finds him by looking at records, once he meets Corbett he realizes it is the same new guy who made an earlier scene about wanting to kill Germans. He still recommends him to Col. Gallagher.
Cpl. Corbett takes over from the wounded Staff Sergeant Abbott as Left Waist gunner on Gallagher's crew. During his first training mission he spots the target first, but his gun jams. The other gunners kid him and he does not join in the after hours fun at the Star & Bottle. This bothers Col. Gallaher who needs a team on his ship not loners. Komansky adopts Corbett and helps him, they go to another pub and Corbett meets Gillian.
On the next practice mission, Corbett spots a real German FW and shoots it down. He gets promoted to buck Sergeant on the spot, but is upset by killing someone. Going into shock, he admits he's almost 16 (still 15). Col. Gallagher orders him to the base hospital to rest, but then goes AWOL to see Gillian at the pub.
He returns to the base and agrees not to talk another walk. In the morning he sneaks aboard for the next mission. Hachensberg is the target. After seeing the other gunners hit and killed, Corbett takes over ands performs well. On the ground Col. Gallagher chews him out, turning him over to the MP, who will deliver him to the Red Cross, and insure he stays with them till he returns home.
After Sgt. Corbett leaves Gallagher orders Komansky to tell Major Stovall to cut orders promoting him to Staff Sergeant before his discharge. He also orders Komansky to write up the events of the mission for his signature and personal recommendation for a Silver Star.

Maintenance problems plague the 918th. General Creighton from G-2 orders the 918th on a mission to drop a female resistance leader(Ilka Zradna) into occupied Poland. A German spy organization attempts to stop U.S. bombing and to kill the resistance leader.

Savage kidnaps Oberst Richter while escaping with Forrester, Regis, "Baby", "Doc" & "Moxey". "Baby", Regis & Forrester are killed. Savage, "Doc" & "Moxey" make it back to England via a ship with the resistance help of Dr Erlich. Along the way Savage is forced to kill Richter.

Major Andy Towson, an exceptional pilot & squadron C.O. cracks up after landing. He is a friend of Savages and has flown about same amount of missions as Savage and has always been a rock. Lt. Kemp, Towson's co-pilot, has plans to sit the war out in Switzerland and plans on flying there.

After receiving the mission details for a high risk mission (to knock out an aircraft plant in Rhone Valley), the 918th has a 3 day weather hold. The mission has an expected causality rate of at least (minimum 33.34%. This episode examines how the men of the 918th bomb group handle the pressure of knowing death awaits them without the distraction of carrying out a mission.

The group returns from a bomb run the air frame factory at Metz. The leader, Major Cobb reports complete destruction of the target, but the Intelligence officer Major Herrick says the factory is still operating.

After loosing his memory Brigadier General Frank Savage is found wandering around Berkley Square south Grosvenor Street by Lieutenant Ryan. After being examined by Major "Doc" Kaiser, he reads in the paper that Barbara Talbot was murdered in London. Later Inspector Thorne and Sergeant Padget from the CID come to see Brigadier General Frank Savage. They found a lighter with a 918th crest in Barbara's flat. Brigadier General Frank Savage is missing his lighter and he has no memory of night in question. He starts to retrace his steps to the Redgraves Club then to Barbara's flat. It turns out that Redgraves is a blackmailer & spy, he uses women like Barbara to lure important people into compromising situations. Brigadier General Frank Savage realizes that Redgraves killed Barbara and that Padgett works for Redgraves. Frank confronts Regraves, and as Regraves is about to kill Brigadier General Frank Savage, he is shot and wounded by Inspector Thorne. Next mission will be to Saarbrücken .

TV Rating: TV-PG: This episode deals with two members of the 918 who for their own reasons are coming to grip with their role in combat. Corporal Russell Lawrence. a clerk in the 918 Group Office, is starting out and taking the rocky path (as General Savage calls it). Major Morse is trying to hang on to his combat leadership role, but is so worn out it could be costing the lives of the men under his command.

"Here's to Courageous Cowards" is a look at the hard decisions soldiers of all ranks must make in finding and deciding their personal place. It is also a look at the difficulties superior officers go through in helping the men under their command come to the right decision for the military and themselves.

Tune in (or watch on DVD) this episode to see how General Savage deals with these two men and helps them both make the right decision for their individual situation.

Upon returning from a mission we learn General Savage lost his best friend of 17 years (Joe Farrell) and can't feel anything. Upon hearing this fact, General Crowe orders General Savage to go on leave, "as far away as possible without deserting." When General Savage balks, General Crowe makes it a direct order; General Savage is to leave, the base today, on leave.

Arriving at the local train station, General Savage purchases a ticket to the farthest place away. The ticket salesman says the furthest place is an island off of Scotland (Inverness) and he buys the ticket (rail and ship). Meanwhile at the railway station a Wren officer (female Naval officer) is on her way home (on the same island) for medical leave. Each officer has their own set of loyal enlisted men with them who find them the best coach on the train. Turns out they end up together and at first don't get along. Over time, though, they work things out.

Tune in and watch the episode this episode and see things develop between these two people.

Rated: TV PG: General Savage must decide how to bomb a site that is using downed airmen and officers of the 918 as hostages. This is a clear violation of the Geneva Convention for the Treatment of Prisoners of War by the Germans. The American crew don't like to be sitting ducks and act both to escape and assist in bombing the most valuable part of the factory even if it means their lives. Tune in to see how Major Jack Temple and his crew handle the situation and General Savage's response.